Are Satellite Providers and DSL Internet Providers the Same?

To ordinary users, all internet providers may seem to be the same. But in reality, choosing the right provider spells a big difference between a slow, almost crawling web browsing and a high speed, reliable delivery of online services. A discerning online user must know the difference between satellite providers and dsl internet providers.

A dsl internet provider is a company that provides internet to its clients via dsl technology (dsl means digital subscriber line). This technology uses local telephone cable lines to transfer the digital data (that is, the internet data) to its clients or subscribers. This means that anything that happens to the telephone cable lines (perhaps a cut in the wires, or maybe extreme cold, or even a vicious storm) will be very significant to the performance of your subscription. It also means that there is a lot that may cause faults in the system of these dsl providers.

Satellite Internet Providers

Meanwhile, satellite internet providers are companies that provide internet to its clients via geosynchronous communication satellites (that is, these are satellites that move in parallel with the earth so that it will always be on the same spot on the earth, and you will be able to consistently access it whenever you want it). Every time you need to go online (say, browse a website) the request for that webpage will go from your computer to your satellite dish and up to the satellite (which is around 22,000 miles up in space).

The satellite will then transmit a request down to the network operations center (or NOC) of your satellite internet provider. The NOC will then get the webpage you have requested and will then transmit it back to the satellite. The satellite, which has received the requested webpage, will then transmit it back down to your satellite dish and then computer. But take note, all of these will happen in the fraction of a second. And because the signals travel through air and space, line faults similar to dsl connections don’t happen in satellite internet.

DSL VS Satellite Internet Providers

So what are the other difference between a dsl internet provider and a satellite internet provider? Unlike dsl internet provider, satellite provider pride itself to be able to cater to clients in the rural or far-flung communities. Usually, these areas are remote enough that even the biggest dsl providers haven’t had the chance to do their cable runs to these communities yet. Or another likely scenario is that because there are wide areas (such as through forested areas or farmlands) in between houses (and thus people), it is not profitable to them to do costly cable runs for such few potential clients. But because satellite internet providers only need to set up satellite dishes and then hook them up to their prospective clients’ desktops and laptops, TV sets (for satellite TV) and / or telephones, they will be able to provide these people from remote areas services that dsl providers usually cannot.

Differences with Satellite Internet

Another difference between satellite internet providers and dsl internet providers is in terms of reliability with regards to internet speed and uptime. Because there is a common dsl cable medium shared by all the clients in a specific area, there are times when the internet service bogs down. There are oftentimes when these clients access internet roughly at the same time. Think of it as a common road in a subdivision. If the neighborhood use the road all at the same time (say, perhaps during the morning rush hour, when everybody is hurrying to go to work or school), traffic is bound to happen and will result in a slow car ride. Because the technology used by satellite internet is totally different, there is bogging down of the internet service caused by a shared cable medium. Every client’s connection is his or her own. This exclusivity in your access to the satellite internet means more reliable and fast internet service 24 by 7, seven days a week, something that most dsl providers cannot promise.

Going back to our original question: are satellite providers and dsl internet providers the same? The short answer is that they are not. The difference in their fundamental technology (one relies on cable networks while the other relies on satellite systems) makes a whole world of difference in terms of their reliability (dsl connection’s reliability depends on the time and the number of clients that are accessing their service; satellite internet do not have this problem), their accessibility (dsl providers often can only do their business in urban areas, while satellite internet providers can provide their services to rural or remote areas), and even the causes of system faults (line faults often occur in dsl connections, which does not happen for satellite internet).